Gambia Expels Lebanese Grocery Mogul for Selling 'Expired Foodstuffs'
The Gambia on Friday banned imports of frozen chicken legs after expelling one of the country's most powerful business magnates for stocking groceries months past their sell-by date.
Lebanese-Gambian multimillionaire Hussein Tajudeen, a former close friend of President Yahya Jammeh, was kicked out of the country this week for "engaging in undesirable business activities".
Tajudeen, who owns a chain of outlets including Gambia's largest supermarket, "was engaged in selling expired foodstuffs, most of which have been in his stores for the past seven months," a government investigator told Agence France Presse.
"After a careful review and consideration of trade and health- related issues, the ministries of trade and health inform the general public and all importers of frozen foodstuffs that the government has decided to ban the importation of frozen chicken legs into the country with immediate effect," a Gambian government statement said.
The affair has sent shockwaves through the business community in mainland Africa's smallest nation, where retailers and the impoverished public rely on cheap imported goods to keep shopping bills down.
Tajudeen, scion of the nationwide Kairaba supermarket chain and a Gambian resident for 15 years, was also the country's main importer of rice and flour as owner of the parent company, Tajco.
It was not immediately clear what would happen to Tajco's Gambian interests in his absence.
The government did not officially link Tajudeen's deportation and the import ban but a presidential source told Agence France Presse: "The move to ban the importation of chicken was a reaction to Tajudeen's way of doing business."
Tajudeen, who owns businesses worth several million dollars in the Gambia and Lebanon, was ordered to leave within 72 hours on Tuesday and is understood to have complied.
A government statement said his "undesirable business activities" had "very serious health and economic consequences to the people and the state."
"Despite the fact that the Gambia has a liberal economy, the state will not condone greedy and unscrupulous businessmen who are just after their profit margin and not the welfare and well-being of the consumers," the government said.
The Kairaba chain and its Banjul-based parent company Tajco were reportedly placed under U.S. sanctions in December 2010 for allegedly forming part of a multinational network that investigators said generated millions of dollars for Hizbullah, designated by the United States as a "terrorist group."
The sanctions targeted a network of businesses owned or controlled by Tajudeen and his brothers in the Gambia, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the British Virgin Islands.
almost 11 years
UnitedLebanon don't mind this moron and don't fall privy to their sectarianism, this whole website is a hotbed of racists and fundamentalists who think that their somehow more enlightened than the people they criticize. Lebanon and the Lebanese are one people, we're the same, don't mind this LF racist, they're still trying to grapple with their irrelevance.
almost 11 years
yeah because Montreal Food and Safety regulators are as lax as Gambia's you genius! only half wits like yourself will believe you.
almost 11 years
Lol so is your username supposed o be sarcastic with an attitude like that?
But as the first comment says. Another typical ha supporter
almost 11 years
Tajudeen is known as a main financial supporter of ha is Africa. He was only remarking on the article while you went all out calling Christians 7aramiyeh. You even got to Canada. I don't see any mention of Canada In the article, do you?
almost 11 years
Al Maal Al Nadeef
almost 11 years
"It was not immediately clear what would happen to Tajco's Gambian interests in his absence."
The president or one of the president's family - of course.
almost 11 years
Mr united leb pls try to use decent wording n do not insult any sect or compatriots if u really believe in a united leb...??
almost 11 years
Only Lebanese Shiites are mass murderers.... They either slaughter or poison.... Same result, DEATH!
almost 11 years
these kind of remarks make you seem foolish...grow up
almost 11 years
Are you even listening to yourself?
almost 11 years
Only shiites sell expired food. Everyone else have perfect record and would never allow themselves to do such a thing.
almost 11 years
On a large scale and expire meat, yes!
almost 11 years
An article about expired imported food brought up all this in all of you, few years from now each and everyone will be begging for a chicken leg coz of this hatred and sectorianism... YOU are the scumbags of this country, w3oo 3a rabbkoun ba2a!!!!
almost 11 years
An article about expired imported food brought up this in ALL of you, if the country will soon feed on chicken legs its because of scumbags like you, wlik w3oo 3a rabbkoon ba2a!!!
almost 11 years
An article about expired imported food brought up this in ALL of you, if the country will soon feed on chicken legs its because of scumbags like you, wlik w3oo 3a rabbkoon ba2a!!!
almost 11 years
Not 'probably'.
almost 11 years
Sha3b zbele, kellkoun sawa
almost 11 years
Kiif
almost 11 years
Administrator
almost 11 years
yestehil
almost 11 years
aslan ya shabeb bade elkon shi kel africa ili fiya rejel a3mel kelon nasabin w haramiyeh w ekhwet layha . sad2oune ba3ed fi kteer lezim yenza3abo , abel b fatra hayda il zalame nza3ab min angola , w hala2 min gambiya , bas oulo inchala w yez3abo kel harameh w kel nasab w kel ensen byejabar 3a il sha3eb il fa2ir ,wlik bi koun houwe sermeyeeee ma 7a2o shi , byonsob bi africa w bi sir ye3mil halo 3alam w bado yekol il bashar w bi fakir 7alo ekta3i w bado yekol il akhdar w il yebis . il zaman ma byerham 7ada w kel wahad elo yawmoooooooo
almost 11 years
Crime has no religion. Ma ahbalkon. All of you.
All I can say is that if you are representative of the Lebanese people, then Lebanon's only salvation is the eradication of all its citizens.
Shame on you.
almost 11 years
I Personally think this is a complot against this guy, I mean why will he put some expired meat since he is a multimillionaire? I think someone is manipulating this issue to kick him out of Gambia,, My opinion Only.
almost 11 years
i am christian and i live in canada and yes lebanese groceries over here are full of expired products..
almost 11 years
ya 3me shu ill shi3a 3mlenkon rou3ub b 7aytkoun ...
almost 11 years
Why dont you report them to the health authorities then?
almost 11 years
Drug, money and prostitucion fund the Shiite terrorism.
almost 9 years
The real story is that Isarael want to invest in africa. and hezbolaah don't need money from any company or any person. and all whst is happening is from the evil (israel) and from the snake (usa) .
بكرا بيبيعوهم بلبنان